Wesceleb: Jonna Humphries ’10

By Corinne Baldwin, Staff Writer

When Jonna Humphries ’10 left Wesleyan to spend last semester at NYU, many people thought that she transferred out—but Jonna is back and better than ever. This awesome and ambitious babe sat down with me to answer a few questions about what it is that makes her so cool.

Corinne Baldwin: So Jonna, I hear that you had a couple of sweet internships over the summer. What exactly were you doing?

Jonna Humphries: Yeah. I was working two days a week at New York Magazine and three days a week at “The Today Show.”

CB: That's awesome. How'd you get hooked up with that?

JH: Well, I was at NYU last semester, and at the time I actually had applied for New York Magazine while I was at school but it didn't work out because of scheduling—I actually ended up working for Paramount pictures instead. [New York Magazine] told me that if I was there during the summer that they would have a position open for me. And so I was kind of just like, ’Yeah…hell yeah.'

CB: What did your job entail?

JH: At the magazine I worked in their PR department, and my task, I kid you not, included spending all day—well, not all day—googling New York Magazine and NYmag.com and compiling a press list of wherever they were mentioned for that day.

CB: Was that boring?

JH: It was really tedious, but that wasn't all that I did. They let me create their Facebook presence and fan page and everything. I mean I sat in front of a computer all day but the people I worked with were really nice. I also got to go on assignment and interview people; I interviewed Nigel Barker from “America's Next Top Model” and Christian Siriano from “Project Runway.”

CB: Oh that's so funny, were they cool?

JH: Yeah Christian was hilarious. Nigel's really serious but it was cool to meet him. He's good-looking in person I would say too. He had on like a pinstripe suit, it was funny.

CB: So do either of these things correspond to what you wanna do when you get out or your major here?

JH: Oh yeah…I want to be a writer. I'd like to write a book someday but I think I'd like to start out as a journalist, doing more investigative stuff. I mean like, with “The Today Show,” I got to work one on one with producers on different segments, and I got to go on shoots and give ideas for segments. It was extremely hands-on. It got to the point where I got to party with some of the anchors. I'm also into writing scripts. Who knows where I'll end up.

CB: So would you go into broadcast journalism?

JH: Yeah. It would be cool to be an anchor. I got “The Today Show” job because the summer after my freshman year I worked at “Meet The Press” and Tim Russert sort of guided me—I've known him since I was born because my brothers are best friends with his son Luke—and he really turned me on to broadcast journalism. But I have other interests too. I'm sort of an impulsive person so I really can't stick with any one thing for a very long time.

CB: Yeah it sounds like you are a little all over the place. I also heard somebody mention that you write music or lyrics or something?

JH: Yeah, songwriting is one of my “sidethings” I guess you could say? I've been writing lyrics since I was like 14. I have a whole folder of them. And recently, I found out today actually…ohh…this interview is going to sound like my life is really exciting but it's actually not.

CB: That's okay, exciting is good. What did you find out?

JH: My brother's show just got bought by the E network, and I might get to do the theme song.

CB: That's really cool, what is your brother's show?

JH: Umm it's going to be called “Beverly Hills Nurses;” it's another reality show. It's in the works now, like casting and everything.

CB: Haha wait, what does that mean?

JH: It's a reality show about nurses in LA and their lifestyles.

[Sidenote: a bystander of the interview, Molly Birnbaum ’09, interrupts to say that her cousin is a physician's assistant in LA.]

JH: Is she hot?

MB: Yeah, really hot, and so is her boyfriend.

JH: They should be on his show!

CB: Wait, is this like, “The Hills” style?

JH: I think so, yeah. But like… less fake tears and no Heidi and Spencer.

CB: Well maybe Molly's cousin can take on that role.

JH: All of Molly's cousins are hot. Her other cousin is getting married this weekend in LA and Molly is going to be in it with Mark Hoppis and Paul Wall, and Travis Barker was supposed to be in it but he can't come because he was in a plane crash.

CB: Woah. Molly, maybe you should be a Wesceleb. [All during the conversation, Molly was covered in flour at Jonna and Molly's kitchen table, rolling out pizza dough with an empty wine bottle.] You look pretty handy with that pizza dough. But, Jonna, back to your interview, any ideas for the theme song?

JH: Hmm…I don't know. Maybe something sexy about nurses. Roleplay. I'll figure something out.

CB: So do you just write lyrics, or do you sing and stuff too?

JH: Yeah I sing. I'm one of those girls who wanted to be a singer, dancer and actress and then reality set in. I mean yeah I sing but I would rather be a songwriter, because there are so many other things I am doing. But it would probably be my voice on the theme song.

CB: Have you ever performed any of your stuff at Wesleyan or anything?

JH: No, actually I've recorded some songs here, and I've done stuff outside of Wesleyan, but I've never done anything here. I think I might sing in Burlesque next semester.

CB: That's cool. I've done that before. Don't let them make you take all your clothes off.

[Molly laughs.]

JH: I'll do my best.